Shloka 85

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०

Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance

Devanagari script

देवासुरमनुष्येषु प्रख्यातौ यौ नरोत्तमौ । तौ मावमंस्था मौख्ख्यात्‌ त्वं खद्योत इव रोचनौ

Transliteration

devāsura-manuṣyeṣu prakhyātau yau narottamau | tau māvamam̐sthā mauḍhyāt tvaṁ khadyota iva rocanau ||

Translation

莫因愚昧而轻侮那两位人中至杰——其名声遍及天神、阿修罗与人间。若贬抑他们的光辉，便如萤火妄自讥诮日月一般。

Word by Word

• देव: among the gods
• देव: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• असुर: among the asuras
• असुर: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• मनुष्येषु: among humans
• मनुष्येषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• प्रख्यातौ: well-known, renowned (two)
• प्रख्यातौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रख्यात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• यौ: who (two)
• यौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• नरोत्तमौ: the two best of men
• नरोत्तमौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• तौ: those two (as object)
• तौ: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• मा: do not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा

• अवमंस्थाः: do not disrespect / do not slight
• Type: Verb
• Root: अवमंस्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मौख्यात्: out of foolishness
• मौख्यात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौख्य
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• खद्योतः: a firefly
• खद्योतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: खद्योत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• रोचनौ: the two luminous ones (sun and moon)
• रोचनौ: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोचन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

Speaker

काक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• काक (Kāka, the crow; speaker)
• देव (Devas)
• असुर (Asuras)
• मनुष्य (Humans)
• खद्योत (Firefly)
• रोचनौ (Sun and Moon as the ‘two luminous ones’)
• श्रीकृष्ण (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) [as per the received Hindi gloss]
• अर्जुन (Arjuna) [as per the received Hindi gloss]

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns against arrogant contempt for truly eminent persons. One should cultivate discernment and humility: belittling the renowned and radiant is as absurd as a firefly scorning the sun and moon, and it leads to ethical and practical ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kāka addresses someone who is about to speak or act disrespectfully toward two universally celebrated heroes. Using the firefly-versus-sun-and-moon comparison, he cautions that such mockery is born of delusion and ignores their established greatness.